शोचाम्येनं पार्थिवं पुत्रहीनं नैवात्मानं मन्दभाग्यं विहङ्ग
I grieve for this king, deprived of his son, not for myself, O bird, who am of little fortune.
भविष्यन्ति वह्निमारोह शीघ्रं सत्यं प्रोक्तं श्रद्दधत्स्व त्वमद्य
You will ascend the fire swiftly; what has been spoken is true—place your faith in it today.
हुताशमासाद्य पतिव्रता तं संचिन्तयन्ती ज्वलनं प्रवनन्ना
Approaching the blazing fire, the devoted wife, contemplating her husband, moved toward the flames.
खमुत्पपाताथ स कामचारी समं महिष्या च सुनाभपुत्र्या
Then she soared into the sky, moving at will, together with the queen, Sunābha's daughter.
स दिव्ययोगात् प्रतिसंस्थितो ऽम्बरे भार्यासहायो दिवसानि पञ्च
By divine power, he remained in the heavens, accompanied by his wife, for five days.
रराम तन्व्या सह कामचारी ततो ऽम्बरात् प्राच्यवतास्य शुक्रम्
He enjoyed himself with the slender woman, moving at will; then his semen fell from the sky.
चित्रा विशाला हरितालिनी च सप्तर्षिपत्न्यो ददृशुर्यथेच्छया
Citrā, Viśālā, and Haritālinī—the wives of the Seven Sages—saw it as they pleased.
मन्यमानास्तदमृतं सदा यौवनलिप्सया
Thinking it to be nectar, always desiring youth, they coveted it.
पतिभिः समनुज्ञाताः पपुः पुष्करसंस्थितम्
Having received permission from their husbands, they drank what was in the lotus.
पीतमात्रेण शुक्रेण पार्थिवेन्द्रोद्भवेन ताः
By drinking only that semen, which was born of the king, they...
ततस्तु तत्यजुः सर्वे सदोषास्ताश्च पत्नयः
Then all those wives, tainted, abandoned it.
तेषां रुदितशब्देन सर्वमापूरितं जगत्
By the sound of their weeping, the entire world was filled.
समभ्येत्याब्रवीद् बालान् मा रुदध्वं महाबलाः
Approaching them, he said: 'Children, do not weep, you are mighty.'
इत्येवमुक्त्वा देवेशो ब्रह्म लोकपितामहः
Having spoken thus, the lord of the gods, Brahmā, the grandsire of the worlds...
ते त्वासन् मरुतस्त्वाद्या मनोः स्वायंभुवे ऽन्तरे
They became the Maruts, born in the interval of Manu Svāyambhuva.
स्वारोचिषस्य पुत्रस्तु श्रीमानासीत् क्रतुध्वजः
The illustrious Kratudhvaja was the son of Svārociṣa.
तपोर्ऽथं ते गताः शैलं महामेरुं नरेश्वराः
For the sake of austerity, those kings went to the great mountain Meru.
ततो विपश्चिन्नामाथ सहस्राक्षो भयातुरः
Then, the thousand-eyed Indra, named Vipascit, became fearful.
गच्छस्व पूतने शैलं महामेरुं विशालिनम्
Go, O Pūtanā, to the mountain, to the vast and splendid Meru.
यथा हि तपसो विघ्नं तेषां भवति सुन्दरि
So that an obstacle to their austerities may arise, O beautiful one.
इत्येवमुक्ता शक्रेण पूतना रूपशालिनी
Thus addressed by Śakra, Pūtanā, endowed with beauty,
आश्रमस्याविदूरे तु नदी मन्दोदवाहिनी
Not far from the hermitage, there flowed a river with gentle current.
सापि स्नातुं सुचार्वङ्गी त्ववतीर्णा महानदीम्
She too, of lovely form, descended into the great river to bathe.
तेषां च प्राच्यवच्छुक्रं तत्पपौ जलचारिणी
And there, the aquatic one drank the semen discharged by them.
ते ऽपि विभ्रष्टतपसो जग्मू राज्यं तु षैतृकम्
Having lost their austerity, they went to the kingdom of the Six.
ततो बहुतिथे काले सा ग्राही शङ्खरूपिणी
Then, after a long time, that Grāhī assumed the form of a conch.
स तां दृष्ट्वा महाशङ्खी स्थलास्थां मत्स्यजीविकः
Seeing her, the great conch on land, a fisherman approached.
तथाभ्येत्य महात्मानो योगिनो योगधारिणः
Then, great-souled yogis, bearers of yoga, came there.
ततः प्रमाच्छङ्खिनी सी सुषुवे सप्त वै शिशून्
Then, the conch-woman gave birth to seven children.
अमातृपितृका बाला जलमध्यविहारिणः
The children, without mother or father, moved about in the water.